Gale force wind warning remains

Gale force wind warning remains, public urged to be wary of
downed power lines

Gale force easterly winds gusting
up to 130kmh are expected to continue to impact on
storm-battered Northland, where people are today being
warned to be very wary of downed power lines.

The
MetService lifted heavy rain warnings for Northland just
after 8.30am today, but warns the strong winds that have
left thousands without power and caused a raft of other
issues are set to continue into this afternoon before
finally easing this evening.

Claire Nyberg,
spokesperson for the Northland Civil Defence Emergency
Management (CDEM) Group says clean up and repair work is
ongoing this morning and given the wind warning authorities
would keep a close watch on the situation throughout the
day.

She says a 30-minute telephone briefing
involving multiple emergency services, local authority,
essential services and others held at 9am had revealed that
despite wide-spread storm-related damage, overall the region
was coping well today.

Thousands of people across
the region were still without electricity, which was
impacting on local authority sewage treatment systems and
cellphone and phone coverage availability in some areas,
however, power companies were working hard to restore
power.

The power companies themselves have asked
people to be extremely careful around downed power lines and
treat them as live at all times. A Northpower spokesman
says the company had had reports of people using chainsaws
to clear trees around downed lines earlier today, but asked
they not do so due to the obvious risks.

The
spokesman says downed lines may well be live, electrical
current could travel and the voltages could seriously harm
or even kill someone.

“We’re asking people to
stop and call us on 0800 10 40 40 (or if a real emergency
phone 111 also) and let our team of arborists and lines do
the job with the right safety gear,” Northpower says.

Meanwhile, Ms Nyberg says fallen trees and surface
flooding have closed roads at a number of spots around the
region, including on parts of its State Highway network.

Several rooms had also been affected by water at Bay of
Islands Hospital at Kawakawa overnight with affected
patients relocated there and the hospital was currently
operating on generator power, as was Dargaville Hospital.
Rawene Hospital was currently without power.

Ms
Nyberg repeated her earlier warning that people should
continue to be extremely careful today and avoid travelling
unless absolutely necessary.

She says Northland
Regional Council figures show in the 22 hours to 6am today
157.2mm of rain had fallen at Kaikohe, 149.5mm at Oromahoe,
126mm at Puhipuhi, 118.5mm at Kerikeri, 93.8mm at the
council’s Whangarei offices, 98.5mm on Kaipara’s Tutamoe
Ranges and 36mm at Dargaville. Figures for Kaitaia were not
available.

Ms Nyberg says in Kaikohe’s case, the
amount of rain it had received in just under 24 hours was
very close to the amount it would normally receive for the
entire month of July.

She says Civil Defence will
continue to closely monitor the weather situation today and
update the public as required, including through the
Northland CDEM Group’s Facebook page –
www.facebook.com/civildefencenorthland

Information
about any local district council road and State Highway
closures/issues in Northland while warnings are in force is
available from the Automobile Association website via
www.AAroadwatch.co.nz

The site contains a map and
brief description of closed/affected roads and an indication
of when the issue/s involved is likely to be resolved.

General Civil Defence information is also available from
the Northland Regional Council’s website
www.nrc.govt.nz/civildefence

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